Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Hunter Forbes, Victor Shelamoff, Wouter Visch, Cayne Layton
Summary: Research shows limited evidence that kelp farming provides biodiversity benefits, as farming can increase abundance and diversity among certain taxa but typically create habitats different from natural kelp forests. Additionally, the potential for kelp farms to support biodiversity depends on operational factors that may conflict with farming objectives.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Bryan Bularz, Miriam Fernandez, Maria Dulce Subida, Evie A. Wieters, Alejandro Perez-Matus
Summary: The degradation of marine ecosystems is a global problem with significant consequences, such as biodiversity loss and reduced ecosystem service provisions. This study in central Chile reveals the impact of artisanal subtidal Lessonia trabeculata fishery on associated species and the difficulty in recovery. Effective management and conservation of coastal ecosystems should consider the ecosystem-wide impacts of L. trabeculata fisheries.
Article
Ecology
Andrey Lessa Derci Augustynczik, Rasoul Yousefpour
Summary: The study indicates that mature European beech forests can store a significant amount of carbon and contribute to climate mitigation actions. Optimal management solutions vary by region, focusing on wood production or simultaneously promoting carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation. Overall, biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration act synergistically, while wood production may have trade-offs with other ecosystem services.
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Hongqiang Jiang, Wenjun Wu, Jinnan Wang, Weishan Yang, Yueming Gao, Yang Duan, Guoxia Ma, Chunsheng Wu, Jiacheng Shao
Summary: Ecosystem services valuation is crucial in improving stewardship and global terrestrial GEP values range from 108-187 trillion USD in 2017, with majority coming from regulating services. Top countries like Brazil, the United States, China, Canada, and Russia have highest GEP values mainly from climate regulation and water conservation services.
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
C. Patrick Heidkamp, Louie Vincent Krak, Miriah M. Russo Kelly, Charles Yarish
Summary: This paper provides an in-depth geographical analysis of the sugar kelp industry in the United States, comparing regional market differences and opportunities for growth in Maine, Alaska, and Connecticut. The seaweed industry has great potential for development in the United States and offers numerous environmental benefits. Proposed solutions for increasing the profitability of sugar kelp include market differentiation through regional origin labels and quality labels.
Article
Ecology
Jess K. Hopf, Jennifer E. Caselle, J. Wilson White
Summary: Kelp habitat restoration is gaining attention as a management action to support recovery in disturbed areas. Restoring inside marine protected areas (MPAs) can greatly enhance population benefits with minimal impact on fishery yields. However, restoring outside MPAs becomes preferable when predatory fish indirectly benefit kelp habitats. Successful restoration actions may be difficult to detect due to complex transient dynamics. Setting management goals and social expectations is important for the ecosystem service implications of restoration in MPAs.
Article
Ecology
Stephen R. Wing, Leonardo M. Durante, Alex J. Connolly, Amandine J. M. Sabadel, Lucy C. Wing
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the long-term effects of exploitation and changes in organic matter sources on marine food web trophic structure. The results suggested declines in organic matter contribution from kelps and increases in trophic levels of mesopredatory fishes. This data provides insights into the bioenergetics of fish communities in response to exploitation and environmental changes.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Christian Unterberger, Roland Olschewski
Summary: Forest ecosystems in mountainous regions play a crucial role in providing protection services against disasters. However, there is still limited knowledge about the demand for insurance services provided by forests. Research shows that households are willing to pay a significant amount for forest management that enhances insurance services, which can inform decision making and operationalize the insurance value of ecosystems.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Yelin Peng, Wanxu Chen, Sipei Pan, Tianci Gu, Jie Zeng
Summary: This study aims to reveal the spatial characteristics and driving forces of global ecosystem services (ESs) balance and provide a framework for future assessments and environmental policy-making. The results show a significant spatial dependence of ESs balance, with deficits in urban and barren areas and surpluses in areas with dense vegetation. Nighttime light intensity and forest proportion are important drivers in influencing ESs balance.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nur Arafeh-Dalmau, Carolina Olguin-Jacobson, Tom W. Bell, Fiorenza Micheli, Kyle C. Cavanaugh
Summary: Kelp forests are highly productive ecosystems, but their persistence is uncertain due to human pressure and climate change. We used satellite imagery to map the distribution and persistence of kelp forests in the western Pacific of the USA and found that only a small portion of kelp is protected. Protecting highly persistent kelp is a cost-effective approach to improve the climate resilience of kelp forests.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Agnieszka Lorek, Pawel Lorek
Summary: The study investigated social attitudes towards forests and protected areas in the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland, revealing a relatively low willingness to pay among the respondents, with factors such as age, professional and economic status potentially contributing to this phenomenon.
Article
Biology
Michael Ulyshen, Katherine R. Urban-Mead, James B. Dorey, James W. Rivers
Summary: Despite the recognized importance of natural habitats for pollinator diversity, the significance of forests to pollinating insects has been largely neglected in many parts of the world. This review establishes the critical role of forests in global pollinator diversity, explores the relationship between forest cover and pollinator diversity in mixed-use landscapes, and highlights the contributions of forest-associated pollinators to crop pollination. The literature demonstrates that native forests support numerous forest-dependent species and are crucial for maintaining global pollinator diversity. Forest cover has been shown to enhance pollinator diversity in landscape-scale studies, but various factors such as spatial scale, focal taxa, landscape context, forest type, and disturbance history can complicate findings. Forest loss can have both positive and negative effects on pollinators, and studies show that forest cover can substantially increase yields in adjacent habitats for multiple crop types. Forests may also play an increasingly important role in mitigating the impacts of pesticides and climate change on pollinators. However, further research is needed to determine the amount and configuration of forest cover necessary to promote forest-associated pollinator diversity and their services in forests and neighboring habitats. Nonetheless, preserving native woody habitats, including individual trees, is crucial for the conservation of pollinating insects and the essential services they provide.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Zhongfa Zhou, Lu Zhang, Tangyin Wu, Dan Luo, Lan Wu, Quan Chen, Qing Feng
Summary: Forests play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance and providing livelihood for humanity. This study focuses on karst regions, which face the challenges of ecological restoration and resident impoverishment. By using remote sensing and socio-economic methodologies, the research reveals significant improvements in forest rehabilitation and ecosystem service value due to compulsory forest conservation measures. The findings emphasize the importance of balancing ecological integrity and economic development for sustainable forest management in vulnerable landscapes.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Di Sun, Furong Li, Zhao Jing, Shijian Hu, Bohai Zhang
Summary: Marine heatwaves, extreme warm water events, are found to have only about half of the events with continuous surface signals, while around one-third always reside in the subsurface ocean without any imprint on sea surface temperature. The number of subsurface marine heatwave events has significantly increased in response to subsurface mean-state warming during the past three decades, indicating the limitation of identifying marine heatwaves solely based on sea surface temperature.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Helen D. Berry, Thomas F. Mumford, Bart Christiaen, Pete Dowty, Max Calloway, Lisa Ferrier, Eric E. Grossman, Nathan R. VanArendonk
Summary: The study demonstrates a significant decline in bull kelp distribution in South Puget Sound over the past 145 years, with losses persisting for decades across various climate conditions. In recent years, bull kelp has mainly been found in areas with intense currents and mixing, while losses are more common in regions with high temperatures, lower nutrient concentrations, and slower current velocities.
Article
Ecology
Nathan G. King, Pippa J. Moore, Jamie M. Thorpe, Dan A. Smale
Summary: Kelp species are important and diverse ecosystems, and the associated bacterial communities play a crucial role in supporting the host and wider ecosystem functioning. This study demonstrates the consistent features of kelp bacterial communities across different spatial scales and environmental gradients, providing an ecologically meaningful baseline for monitoring environmental change.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hannah S. Earp, Ruby George, Paul R. Brooks, Veronica Farrugia Drakard, Bryan J. Thompson, Benjamin Fisher, Roisin Hayden, Tasman P. Crowe, Pippa J. Moore
Summary: Artificial structures often have depauperate communities compared to natural rocky shores. This study investigates the population structure, sex ratio, and reproductive potential of limpets on natural shores and artificial structures on Irish Sea coasts. The results suggest that artificial structures may provide a habitat comparable to natural shores, but the addition of ecological engineering interventions may improve the approximation of limpet populations to those on natural shores.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Sarah Treby, Paul Carnell
Summary: Wetlands are highly effective natural carbon sinks, but can release large amounts of carbon back into the atmosphere if disturbed. In the Murray-Darling Basin, excessive water consumption has resulted in widespread wetland loss and degradation. A study in Barmah National Park found that the warming potential of the wetland was mainly driven by methane emissions, which were 28 to 89 times higher than the global average for natural wetlands. Soil carbon and nitrogen did not differ significantly between areas with and without feral herbivores.
ECOHYDROLOGY & HYDROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
H. Thatcher, T. Stamp, D. Wilcockson, P. J. Moore
Summary: As offshore wind energy developments increase globally, it is crucial to understand their impact on the marine environment. This study focused on the movements and habitat utilization of European lobsters within an offshore wind farm. The results suggest that certain areas within the wind farm provide suitable habitat for lobsters due to the artificial reef effects created by the addition of artificial hard substrate. This highlights the potential fishery opportunities in future offshore wind farm developments.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mauricio F. Landaeta, Carola Hernandez-Santoro, Francesca Search, Manuel Castillo, Claudio Bernal, Sergio A. Navarrete, Evie A. Wieters, Ricardo Beldade, Ana Navarro Campoi, Alejandro Perez-Matus
Summary: This study examines the discarded demersal community fauna in the artisanal and industrial crustacean fisheries along the southern Humboldt Current System from 2014 to 2019. It analyzes spatio-temporal patterns, species composition, and assemblages, and investigates the factors influencing biodiversity. The results show variations in species composition, assemblage segregation by depth and geographic zone, and interannual variations of biodiversity. Surface sea temperature, chlorophyll-a, or wind stress were not correlated with biodiversity.
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aaron M. M. Eger, Ezequiel M. M. Marzinelli, Rodrigo Beas-Luna, Caitlin O. O. Blain, Laura K. K. Blamey, Jarrett E. K. Byrnes, Paul E. E. Carnell, Chang Geun Choi, Margot Hessing-Lewis, Kwang Young Kim, Naoki H. H. Kumagai, Julio Lorda, Pippa Moore, Yohei Nakamura, Alejandro Perez-Matus, Ondine Pontier, Dan Smale, Peter D. D. Steinberg, Adriana Verges
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ana Navarro Campoy, Alejandro Perez-Matus, Evie A. Wieters, Rodrigo Alarcon-Ireland, Vladimir Garmendia, Ricardo Beldade, Sergio A. Navarrete, Miriam Fernandez
Summary: The diversity and ecology of temperate mesophotic ecosystems (TME) have been poorly studied and limited to certain geographic regions. This study focuses on TME in central Chile and provides the first description of the depth distribution of reef fishes, benthic invertebrates, and algae. The findings show that reef fish density and richness decrease with depth but increase with local topographic complexity. Benthic assemblages are dominated by sponges and gorgonians at depths below 20 m, with brachiopods and anemones increasing at greater depths.
Article
Ecology
Pippa H. Lewis, Benjamin P. Roberts, Pippa J. Moore, Samuel Pike, Anthony Scarth, Katie Medcalf, Iain Cameron
Summary: This study successfully corrects the outputs from low-resolution satellite imagery to the standard of high-resolution UAV imagery using a novel brown algae index and a simple regression model, providing accurate spatial estimates. The model was applied to rocky shores across Wales, UK to predict a spatial extent of 6.2 km(2) for three fucoid macroalgae species. This study produces a robust and accurate remote sensing technique to estimate spatial extent of macroalgae at large spatial scales, with possible worldwide applicability.
REMOTE SENSING IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Mathilde Jackson-Bue, Dan A. Smale, Nathan G. King, Aaron G. Rushton, Pippa J. Moore
Summary: Understanding fish-habitat associations is crucial for ecosystem-based management and conservation. Kelp species serve as important nursery and foraging habitats for coastal fish species, but quantitative assessments of fish assemblages in kelp forests are lacking in many regions. This study used Baited Remote Underwater Video and Underwater Visual Census to quantify fish assemblages in Laminaria hyperborea forests in the UK. Regional-scale variability was observed, with distinct assemblages in different regions and latitudinal trends in richness. Further monitoring is needed to understand and manage future ecological changes.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tim Jackson-Bue, Ally J. Evans, Peter J. Lawrence, Paul R. Brooks, Sophie L. Ward, Stuart R. Jenkins, Pippa J. Moore, Tasman P. Crowe, Simon P. Neill, Andrew J. Davies
Summary: This study investigated the influence of local physical structure on biotic assemblages at intertidal reef sites in Wales, UK. The results showed that local habitat structure had a significant impact on assemblage composition across regional environmental gradients. Artificial reefs had lower taxonomic richness and different physical structure compared to natural sites. Environmental variables and two metrics of physical structure together explained 40% of the variation in assemblage composition among sites, with the two structural metrics independently explaining 14.5% of the variation.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)